Thanks for your reply! My Valentine was born in NC, and I believe he was born about 1808. His family (If J.P.) is his father and I am all but certain he was) left NC shortly after that. Brothers Michael and Valentine married in Sumner Co TN in the spring and summer of 1830. Michael married Catherine Ann Cline (called Caty Ann) and Valentine married Anna May. I was never able to find any trace of Valentine following the families migration route of NC>TN>KY>IN>IL>MO>AR. Since there is Valentine Gates living in Sumner Co TN during this time, I feel pretty certain it is the same one. I have ordered records from the TN Archives to see what I can learn about him. I do know from census records that he was born NC. He appears to have died between the 1880 and 1900 census. My Gates line was indeed in IL during the 1850 census, they were living in Wayne Co IL. Both J.P. and Michael are enumerated along with their respective families. At that time there is a Valentine in the household with J.P. There is also an 18 y.o. Polly Gates listed. I believe that Valentine was Polly's father and that they were visiting his family. By 1860 the 2 families are in Lawrence Co MO...with no sign of Valentine. Thanks for your info, it worth my following up. Gena ----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, March 06, 2004 3:24 PM Subject: Re: [GATES] J.P. Gates Hello, There were several Valentine Gates. Some were named John Valentine but went by Valentine. One was born in AL abt 1820 -30. There was an older one in maybe NC or SC, I can't remember. Again, I think I remember an Abner Valentine Gates that may have gone by Valentine. This one may have been from PA , IL or OH. Remembering this info is hard since it was over 25 years ago that I ran into this name in the Gates line while trying to find a John Gates. I never connected to a Valentine. There was a Valentine in TN at one point and I recall him being from the Charles Gates line of VA. I only really keyed on one, who was in Washington County, MS on the MS River. He is supposed to have owned two lots in the town of Greenville. More strange is my John Gates, his wife and oldest son sold land there and I have not ever found how they got title to it. The Valentine that was there was ill and crossed the river into Arkansas and may have stayed with friends and/or relatives. No, I never found any one he may have been related to. This was supposed to have been in Chicot County, AR. The rest of the story is he had two or three young children with him and sent them by wagon train to be with a family in IL. The children were supposed to have been shown in a HH on the 1850 census but not a Gates HH. I have long since forgotten the county in IL names. May have been a boy and a girl. This Valentine went on to Texas and died in Natchitoches. Lamar